Date correcting device

ABSTRACT

A setting mechanism for wrist-watches which serves for setting the date information. The adjustment of the date information is provided by a single toothed rack which may permanently be in mesh with the means carrying calendar information. Said toothed rack is actuated by the setting wheel and meshes with the teeth of the means carrying calendar information.

United States Patent [191 Meitinger Apr. 30, 1974 DATE CORRECTING DEVICE g [76] Inventor: Heinz Meitinger, 6-4 Miyashita-cho, [56] References Cited Mutlangen, Germany UNITED STATES PATENTS [22] Filed, Feb 12 1973 3,675,412 7/1972 Mouquin 58/58 [21] Appl. No.: 331,805 Primary Examiner-George H. Miller, Jrv

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of. Ser. No. 272,693, July 7, 1972, [57] CT abandoned A setting mechanism for wrist-watches which serves for setting the date information. The adjustment of the [30] Foreign Application priority Data date information is provided by a single toothed rack Nov 16 1971 German 2156753 which may permanently be in mesh with the means y carrying calendar information. Said toothed rack is ac- {521 U S 58/58 tuated by the setting wheel and meshes with the teeth [51] In} .0] 19/24 of 6 means y g calendar information. 58 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Field of Search 58/4, 5, 58

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DATE CORRECTING DEVICE This is a division of US. Pat. application Ser. No. 272,693, filed July 7, I972, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Date correcting devices are known that allow the adjustment of the calendar information carrying means of watches without influencing the other information car'- riers of the watch. One of the best known devices of this kind operates in such a manner that a setting wheel coupled with the dial train coacts withthe switch disk in one, final position. The switch disk is arranged coaxially with the setting wheel on the setting stem. The interaction of the setting wheel and the switch disk is realized by a so-called gullet-tooth system that is mounted on both parts and allows the setting wheel to move the switch disk in onedirection of rotation. The switch disk is fitted with a nose portion that can gear into the teeth of the date ring.

The disadvantage of the conventional datecorrectingdevices is that the setting wheel and the switch disk must have a special toothing. Besides this, the setting wheel must be pressed against the switch disk with slight pressure only as the switch disk could otherwise become jammed while the nose portion is inside the toothing of the date ring. The result would be an interference in the indexing process of the date ring by the watch movement. The slight contact pressure necessitates the very careful manufacture of the operating machinery as well as that of the coacting components of the clutch forming part of the hand-settingarrangement. This kind of said date correcting device also involves the fact that the teeth of the date ring must always be positioned in a certain relation to the handsetting stem so that the constructional possibilities of this device are, therefore, restricted. Furthermore the setting stem must be positioned very closely to the date ring and the dial therewith as otherwise, either the depth of engagement of the nose portion into the teeth of the date ring is very small or there is the risk that two pitches of the date ring are indexed. In case of ladies wrist-watches having a small date ring and thus a small tooth pitch of the date ring, the said device can only be used whenobserving considerably limited manufacturing tolerances. As for the above mentioned reasons the switch disk can only be moved in one direction by the setting wheel, it must be possible to turn the switchdisk through 360 in order to allow the date ring to be indexed by more than one pitch. The result can be, how.- ever, that by intensively actuating the setting stem the date ring may be indexed by more than one pitch by mistake.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION overcome The disadvantages of the conventional correctingdevices for means carrying calendar information, especially date information means, which are called date rings in future reference, are over by actuating the date ring by amovable switch lever 12. The latteris positioned in a portion of the movement frame.

An embodiment of the presented invention is illustrated in the FIGS. 1 to 4.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description in.

connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a sectional view of the setting arrangement in the direction of the setting stem axis.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view in the plane of the setting wheel and on the level of the setting stem recess.

FIG. 3 shows the switching mechanism after the completion of the actuation of date ring 16.

FIG. 4 shows the switching mechanism before the re turn movement of switch lever 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 shows a setting device which consists of setting stem 1 and switch lev'erl2. Setting wheel 9 is mounted on setting stem 1. Setting wheel 9 is rotatable by the influence of setting stem 1. Setting stem 1 is carried on a portion 17 which is positioned on part 19 of the movement frame, theother part 3 of the movement frame being positioned below setting stem 1 and carryin'g date ring 16 which is provided with teeth. Frame part 3 carries the bearings of the movement, for example the bearing of wheel 11 which carries pinion 25, the latter beingin mesh with hour wheel 21. Parts 11, 25 and 21 are components ofthe dial train which carries the time indicating means in a known manner, which are not represented, however; In this shown position, setting wheel 9 meshes with switch lever 12, whereby allowing to actuate switch lever l2'by rotating setting stem 1. Setting lever 7 positions setting wheel 9 in axial direction of setting stem 1. If setting lever 7 is moved towards wheel 11, setting wheel 9 leaves the toothed rack of switch lever 12 and finally gets in mesh with the teeth of wheel 11, thereby allowing to adjust the time indicating hands when rotating wheel 11 by rotating setting stem 1 and setting wheel 9 therewith.

FIG. 2 shows how setting wheel 9 meshes with the toothed rack of switch lever 12 and how the rigid nose portion 28 of switch lever 12 is ready to move the teeth of date ring 16 which are marked with little lines in the drawing.

FIG. 3 shows how switch lever 12 is moved out of mesh with the teeth of date ring 16 by setting wheel 9. The arrows show the directions of motion of setting wheel 9 and switch lever l2. The rigid nose portion 28 of switch lever 12 is safely moved out of mesh with the teeth of date ring 16 by a rotary motion which partly follows the direction of rotationof setting wheel 9 before any banking process takes place which limits the motion of setting wheel 9 and switch lever 12. The advantage is that switch lever 12 can be providedwith: a rigid nose portion 28 for actuating the teeth of date ring 16 without fearing any interference in the motion of date ring 16 in case it is moved by the help of the dial train.

FIG. 4 shows how switch lever 12 is moved backward from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 2. The direction of motion is shown by arrows again. The rigid nose portion 28 of switch lever 12 normally actuating the teeth of date ring 16 now slides overthe teeth of date ring 16 and is unable to then exert any influence because of its special shape which renders any influence caused by the switch lever motion in this direction impossible. This very shape also causes that switch leverl2 moves out of mesh with the teeth of date ring 16 as soon as it is stopped by the borders of frame'parts 3 which'serve as banking means when moving as shown in FIG. 4.

This special manner of function needs no spring device for bringing switch lever 12 into engagement with the teeth of setting wheel 9 as the teeth of setting wheel 7 9 never get out of mesh with the toothed rack of switch lever 12 in case setting wheel 9 is not moved in the direction of the axis of setting stem 1. Switch lever 12 is always free to be moved out of the teeth of date ring 16 as long as a meshing condition is possible between the rigid nose portion 28 of switch lever 12 and the teeth of date ring 16. In the banking positions where the motion of switch lever 12 is necessarily stopped, as otherwise the teeth of setting wheel 9 would leave the toothed rack of switch lever 12, no meshing condition exists between the teeth of date ring 16 and switch lever 12 and so, no interference is possible. This rigid construction of switch lever 12' has the advantage of cheap and simple manufacture of this very part as it may be constructed in one piece of constant material thickness over its total length which allows manufacture in a simple blanking operation. The bearing of switch lever 12 is formed by a slot which is milled in frame part 3 having a width slightly larger than the thickness of switch lever 12 itself. This kind of bearing in the plane of frame part 3 has the advantage that the bearing of switch lever 12 can be manufactured in a simple'and cheap way, too.

The sequence of the function requires a limited forward and backward rotation of setting wheel 9 under the influence of setting stem 1 for driving date ring 16 for one motional cycle of switch lever 12. This necessity means a protection against unintentionally driving of date ring 16 so that it is possible to keep setting wheel 9 in mesh with switch lever 12 in the normal position of setting stem 1 without making use of special lockingdevices securing against unintentionally driving of date ring 16. Omitting such additional devices is also advantageous .in view of production costs and'breakdown sources.

The invention may be embodied-in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiment disclosed is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Correcting device for calendar information means of timepieces consisting of a setting stem being rotatably positioned on the movement frame and a setting vwheel axially slidably keyed on said setting stem,

whereby said setting wheel meshes with a switch lever serving for setting said means carrying calendar information, said switch lever being fitted. Said switch lever is fitted with a toothed rack meshing with said setting wheel, so that said switch lever can be driven by said setting wheel for adjusting said means carrying calendar information, whereby a limited forward and backward rotation of said setting wheel is necessary for one motional cycle of said switch lever, the latter being fitted with a rigid nose portion which cooperates with said means carrying calendar information.

2. Device as in claim 1 wherein said means carrying calendar information carries date indications.

3. Device as in claim 1 wherein said switch lever carries out a rotating motion before reaching said final positions.

4. Device as in claim 1 wherein said nose portion of said switch lever is formed in such a manner that it can always be moved out of mesh by said means carrying calendar-information when said means carrying calendar information moves more quickly than said switch lever or when said switch lever stands still.

5. Device as in claim 1 wherein said'switch lever is positioned in the plane of a movement frame which partly carries the bearing means of the movement.

6. Device as in claim 1 wherein said switch lever is of one piece of constant material thickness over its total length.

7. Device as in claim Iwherein said setting wheel is movable into functional connection with the dial train as well as into functional connection with said switch lever by the help of a setting lever.

8. Device as in claim 7 wherein said switch lever is not operated by spring elements.

' 9. Device as in claim 1 wherein said nose portion of said switch lever is completely moved out of the effective range of said means carrying calendar information before said switch lever reaches its final positions which are determined by banking means limiting the motion of said switch lever.

10. Device as in claim 9 wherein said setting wheel does not leave said toothed rack of said switch lever in said final positions of said 'switch lever, but is locked by said switch lever. 

1. Correcting device for calendar information means of timepieces consisting of a setting stem being rotatably positioned on the movement frame and a setting wheel axially slidably keyed on said setting stem, whereby said setting wheel meshes with a switch lever serving for setting said means carrying calendar information, said switch lever being fitted. Said switch lever is fitted with a toothed rack meshing with said setting wheel, so that said switch lever can be driven by said setting wheel for adjusting said means carrying calendar information, whereby a limited forward and backward rotation of said setting wheel is necessary for one motional cycle of said switch lever, the latter being fitted with a rigid nose portion which cooperates with said means carrying calendar information.
 2. Device as in claim 1 wherein said means carrying calendar information carries date indications.
 3. Device as in claim 1 wherein said switch lever carries out a rotating motion before reaching said final positions.
 4. Device as in claim 1 wherein said nose portion of said switch lever is formed in such a manner that it can always be moved out of mesh by said means carrying calendar information when said means carrying calendar information moves more quickly than said switch lever or when said switch lever stands still.
 5. Device as in claim 1 wherein said switch lever is positioned in the plane of a movement frame which partly carries the bearing means of the movement.
 6. Device as in claim 1 wherein said switch lever is of one piece of constant material thickness over its total length.
 7. Device as in claim 1 wherein said setting wheel is movable into functional connection with the dial train as well as into functional connection with said switch lever by the help of a setting lever.
 8. Device as in claim 7 wherein said switch lever is not operated by spring elements.
 9. Device as in claim 1 wherein said nose portion of said switch lever is completely moved out of the effective range of said means carrying calendar information before said switch lever reaches its final positions which are determined by banking means limiting the motion of said switch lever.
 10. Device as in claim 9 wherein said setting wheel does not leave said toothed rack of said switch lever in said final positions of said switch lever, but is locked by said Switch lever. 